Did You Know That?

July 20, 2004|Knight-Ridder Tribune

Wacky facts from the World Almanac for Kids:

July is named after the Roman ruler Julius Caesar.

A pitcher can make a baseball curve as much as 17.5 inches from its path. A snap of the wrist puts extra spin on the ball, causing the stitches on one side to move with the airflow while the stitches on the other side move against the airflow. As a result, the ball curves toward the side where the stitches move with the airflow.

Some really tall buildings, like New York's Citicorp Center, have a counterweight near the top to help keep the building from swaying under strong winds.

Australia has more than 7,000 beaches, more than any other nation in the world.

Every summer, kids from all over the world head to Akron, Ohio, for the All-American Soap Box Derby.